- Home
- »Who uses COPE'S services?
- » Patient Stories
- » Santar's Story.
Patient Stories
Muang Sing is in the far northwest corner of Laos. It is remote but while on holiday there we heard about a little boy who had lost his leg. With the help of our hosts - Brian and Leila, who work for Health Frontiers, Santar was eventually tracked down and found sitting on a small stool inside his house. His family were shocked to find out that we had come to see if we could help Santar. They told us that since a motorbike accident two years ago Santar was confined to the house. Following the accident Santar lost one leg and the other was severly damaged. His left foot was fixed with his toes pointing downwards so that he was not able to stand or walk. Before the accident Santar was like any normal 8 year old boy who had been attending school and was a very active child.
Ruth explained to him and his family that his problem was complex because his remaining leg had healed in a bad position and he would need surgery to correct it. There was already a plan in place for surgeons to visit COPE from the UK and the USA who would be training Lao surgeons to do these more difficult operations. Ruth showed photos of the kinds of legs that could be made in Vientiane and the family agreed to send him. It was agreed that he would come a few weeks before the surgeons arrived to see waht gains we could make and to prepare him for the surgery. Santar's family belong to an ethnic group called Yao, here is a photo of his younger brother in a traditional hat worn by young boys.
Santar's cast with a metal bar at the base.
An older sister was nominated to go with Santar to Vientiane as she was able to speak Lao. They made the 24 hour bus journey in January to prepare for the surgery. Very quickly Santar's leg was put in plaster to try to start correcting his foot into a normal position so that he could stand on it. In the meantime a metal bar on the bottom of the cast meant that he was able to walk with crutches.
We sent back photos of Santar having his rehabilitation and his mother was amazed. She told our contact in Muang Sing that she had not seen him smile for 2 years. Santar made lots of friends and settled into the rehabilitation centre well, his shyness gradually fading.
After the surgery Santar said that his foot was beautiful as even in the plaster he could see it was in a normal position. He was in plaster for 6 weeks. He returned home after a total of 4 and a half months of rehabilitation. He is now back at school and on a recent trip his mother told us that she had her son back. An amazing story... now available in a picture book from Sticky Fingers Restaurant and at the gift shop in the visitor centre.
Santar's house and a view over the valley near Muang Sing.
Santar's Mother outside their house.
Day of surgery.
